Healing Light
by finalwish
Summary: [SCRAPPED] Two people with fears, regrets, and misery. Two people quivering in the darkness, unable to express hidden emotions. The light they find in each other guides them through the dark and helps them find life's beauty.
1. Prologue

**Healing the Wounded Heart**

I finally came up with a story based off of Tales of Symphonia! .:squee:. Yay! Anyway, this fic is about the Kratos/Raine pairing, and the rating might go higher later on (MIGHT).The chapters are going to be kind of short sometimes (I don't want to cram in useless description and information just to make it longer), so please bear with me. Yep, short and to-the-point chapters! Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Tales of Symphonia, 'kay?

* * *

A young, half-elfin woman walked along the beach in the resort of Altamira, the Seaside Paradise. Her silver hair hung messily above her shoulders and her periwinkle eyes glimmered in the evening light. She wore a long orange coat with black lining over a white shirt and dark pants. She stepped slowly across the warm sand, keeping a distance away from the ocean waves. 

Raine Sage, the healer, the teacher, the archeological mania, was deathly afraid of water. She hated going out to sea or being close to the large, open ocean where she could fall in and drown anytime. She hated the cold, wintry waves, the warm, summer waves, or the sensation of rushing water over bare skin – she hated it all.

An accident at sea when she was very young made a part of her heart close up. Outside of that part, her fear of water drifted around, and her old thoughts on it remained locked up. It was like being overpowered by your fear and your power over it was sealed away – out of reach. Not that Raine desperately wanted to get over it or anything. When you were afraid of something, you never really thought about getting over that fear. You felt only desperateness when you were met with it; feeling only the urge and need to run away.

An innocent little girl being washed away by deathly cold water – that's what Raine was at the time of the accident. Her thoughts had swiftly reverted from a love of splashing the cool water of a stream to trembling whenever she saw a body of the clear blue liquid. She feared of enjoying the feeling of ocean breezes blowing across her hair or admiring the sun as it sparkled on the sea. Something that made most people happy wasn't avoided very often. But the silver-haired woman had had a lonely and dark past, so naturally she was different than most people.

_You can't run away from your fears forever, Raine Sage._

Raine stopped short in her tracks. She froze and her face turned pale.

"W-what?" she whispered, her voice filled with fear.

_You know I'm right. Look – look at that beautiful ocean ahead of you. Wouldn't you like to ride while enjoying the water itself one day? You can't if you're going to cower at the sight of it._

The half-elf's eyes darted back and forth with surprise. "I . . ." she said softly, trying to keep calm. She sat down and shook her head. ". . . We have the Rheairds."

_. . . Oh? Didn't you enjoy the rides on the Elemental Cargo before you got the Rheairds?"_

Raine was growing calmer by the minute. What right did a little voice in her head have to question her? "Elemental Cargo? Don't even remind me . . ." she muttered, sighing. "No, I didn't enjoy those rides, not at all . . ."

_You didn't? But wasn't the sight of the sun glittering on the ocean simply breathtaking?_

"Breathtaking wouldn't be the word for it," the silver-haired woman replied. She found it awfully strange that she was talking to herself – or rather, her conscience. "More like . . . strange. I have never found the ocean particularly beautiful . . ."

_Still won't admit it, huh? _The voice in her head persisted. _You know you hate water, well, more like are horrified of it._

_What? _Now Raine was totally confused. Her eyes widened with surprise. "I . . . I'm NOT afraid of water!" she said firmly.

The voice seemed to disappear after that. Raine gave a short gasp and then followed with a sigh of relief. _That was close . . ._

The moon shone brightly above her, creating rougher waves. The professor backed off and looked at the sky. Stars were beginning to twinkle and the beach was about to close. She tried to get her mind off of the subject and onto something more enjoyable.

_Kratos . . ._

She jerked up. Why would she be thinking about Kratos, that traitor, at this moment? It didn't make her any happier to think of him. Actually, it made her sadder because whenever she thought of him, she also thought about his betrayal.

The Cruxis angel confused her. He always acted so mysterious and cold. Raine, being a teacher and an expert in archeology, didn't usually have much trouble analyzing things or people. She had always been suspicious about him, but it was always so hard to figure out his real intentions when she tried. It was like trying to figure out the origins of an artifact that was found far away from the place it was made.

And then the group had encountered him several times throughout Tethe'alla; his intentions had always been unknown. They had met a woman in the Green Meadows Inn in Ozette who had spoke of a "handsome swordsman" who was staying at the village. Apparently, the swordsman was Kratos, and he had asked the woman about sacred wood. Then, they encountered him in Meltokio, and he asked Presea if sacred wood only grew near Ozette.

Raine was confused and awed about how Kratos could hide what he was doing so easily. But it seemed as if he did that naturally to save himself trouble. And Lloyd, that not-so-bright student of hers, amused her. He became angry whenever they encountered the angel and demanded if he was after Colette. Of course, Raine had been worried and annoyed too, but her temper hadn't gone flaring out like Lloyd's had . . .

Before his betrayal, Raine loved to stay up at night and chat with Kratos about archeology. He often offered to serve as night watch, and he seemed to know a lot about ancient ruins and Summon Spirits. The half-elf had never gotten the chance to really talk to anyone about her favorite subject, since most people didn't show much interest in it either. They'd sometimes talk for long hours and none of them ever seemed to get bored. Raine developed a close relationship with the mercenary this way, well, it was closer than any of the other group members had with him.

It was good that she had stayed up to talk almost every other night, because after they visited the Tower of Salvation, she had been lacking a friend to talk to about archeology. It had taken awhile to get used to missing chats about her passion; she often woke in the middle of the night, only to find Regal or Lloyd on night watch.

_I thought we were friends . . . _the professor thought bitterly, memories flooding back to her at the thought of nightly chats with Kratos.

She heard footsteps on the sands and turned to see a young female lifeguard approaching her.

"Excuse me, ma'am," she said, tapping her on the shoulder. "The beach is closing for today. Please, get off of the sand."

Raine blinked a few times before getting her message clearly. She nodded. "Right, I'm terribly sorry," she apologized, standing up. She walked off of the beach area and approached the Elemental Railway. It only ran to the casino and theater area in the evening, and since she had nowhere else interesting to go except back to the inn, she decided to take a ride.

She approached the keeper and got on.

"En route to casino and theater area?" the boy asked.

"Yes," the professor said with a nod. The lights of the boat clicked on, and then it began moving towards the destined location.

* * *

A dark figure stood on the bridge connecting the casino area with the theater. Long locks of auburn hair fell over his face, almost completely covering his left eye. He wore a purple suit with a sword tucked into its sheath but ready to strike. His brown eyes were as emotionless as the expression he wore on his face. He was leaning against the railing of the bridge, staring at his reflection in the deep blue ocean below. 

This was Kratos Aurion, a hero of the Ancient Kharlan War, one of the Four Seraphim of Cruxis, and an angel who had lived for over 4,000 years. Those many years of life had been mostly of grief, sorrow, guilt, and anger. He hadn't expressed any kind of happiness in a long time. He had almost forgotten what it had felt like to laugh, to be carefree and to feel joy.

_What do I see? _He thought bitterly to himself, staring at his reflection in the deep blue water. The waves rolled gently towards the shore, splashing gently and creating ripples in the water. The image of him blurred slightly and the moonlight behind him dimmed.

He saw himself, but was it really himself that he was looking at? Ever since he lost his wife Anna, and supposedly his son Lloyd, whom he had found, he had become a totally different person. He had been reverted from being warm and encouraging to cold and cautious. He trusted no one but himself any longer; he couldn't risk losing anymore than he already had.

Now he had almost forgotten what he was truly like. What his personality was before losing Anna, before Mithos became crazy over the death of his sister Martel and split the world apart, before the end of the Ancient Kharlan War. He was looking at the mask he had put over himself after all those tragedies. His real self was sealed away, past a wall of solid ice inside his heart. No warmth had melted that ice for so long that Kratos almost felt it belonged there, as if this literally emotionless person, who was supposed to be his mask, was really him.

_I'm such a fool, _the auburn-haired man thought. _First I betray Lloyd and the others, and then I betray Mithos. Whose side am I really on?_

Another thought hit his mind . _. . Raine?_

She had looked so hurt when he betrayed them at the Tower of Salvation. She had been reluctant to fight him, probably because he had helped them and was their former companion, but the others were angry and willing to battle. Kratos could recall the memory clearly . . .

_Flashback_

_"Now Colette is merely a puppet standing before death's door," Kratos stated in his deep voice. He couldn't believe he was saying such things. He knew it was the truth, and what he should've been saying at the moment, but he couldn't believe he was saying it to them. His son, Lloyd, Lloyd's teacher, Raine, and all his former friends. The entire group looked shocked at his words._

_"Kratos! Where've you been?" Lloyd looked extremely worried and confused. His brown eyes flashed fiercely. The seraph knew that he would draw his swords sooner or later. "What're you talking about?"_

_Kratos' face remained at its emotionless state. He crossed his arms and continued. "The Chosen desired the regeneration of the world and chose this path herself. By the summoning of the Chosen to Derris-Kharlan, the seal will be broken and the regeneration will be complete. It is what you – Lloyd, wanted as well." His gaze fell upon Raine and her hurt expression. The rod in her hand was trembling. Kratos mentally slapped himself for hurting everyone who he had helped._

_"We will take the Chosen as the new body for Martel," he pressed on, ignoring his feelings. He realized how bad he sounded, how meaningless his words were. Words not spoken from his heart, words without soul . . ._

_He wished he could tell the truth for once, to tell what he was really thinking. He was tired of following orders. He wanted to make his own decisions . . ._

_Lloyd ran up to him and Raine turned away. "Kratos . . ." he muttered angrily. "Who . . . who are you?" _

_"I am of Cruxis, the organization which guides this world," the mercenary replied calmly. "I am one of the Four Seraphim, sent forth to keep close watch over the Chosen."_

_"You mean . . ." Genis, the young half-elfin mage murmured. ". . . Kratos is an angel, too?"_

_"You deceived us!" Sheena, the dark-haired summoner cried. She whipped her cards out and glared at him._

_"Deceived you?" Kratos scoffed, but inside he was filling up with regret. "If the Chosen merges with Martel, she will awaken, and the world will be saved. Is that not what you wanted too?"_

_Raine closed her eyes hurtfully. She muttered something, "Once her body is taken by the Goddess Martel, Colette will truly die." _

_"No," the seraph said coldly. He wouldn't usually disagree with the professor, but now he had no choice. "She will be reborn as Martel."_

_"Dammit! You think I'm gonna let you do that? Colette's our friend!" Lloyd drew his swords and stared at Kratos with an anger that the angel had never seen from the boy before._

_He glanced at Raine, who was still turned around._

_I'm sorry . . ._

_End Flashback_

Kratos sighed. After that terrifying day, he had often awoken with nightmares starting out as a peaceful nighttime chat with Raine on archeology, and then she would start yelling at him and slapping him for his betrayal. It scared him out of his wits; you did _not _want to get the professor angry. She was as violent to her students and anyone who angered her as Sheena was to Zelos.

He was interrupted from his thoughts by a voice, "Kratos?"

He turned around with his hand on his sword, ready to strike if it was an enemy.

He saw someone who he had never thought he would see in Altamira.

It was Raine. Her silver hair glittered in the moonlight and her periwinkle eyes were filled with confusion and surprise. Her orange coat swayed gently in the night breeze. She didn't look any different from when he had last seen her.

Kratos felt surprised as well, but he wouldn't let himself show it. He swallowed back his thoughts and spoke in his masked, cold, emotionless voice. "Raine. What are you doing here?"

* * *

So how was it? Please R&R and tell me what you thought about it! Constructive criticism is appreciated, but please don't flame without reason! If you're going to flame (for some weird reason), tell me WHY you are flaming me. So it won't be some pointless message, okay? Thanks. 


	2. Troubled Souls

**Healing the Wounded Heart**

I didn't know I'd be updating so soon . . . but whatever! Not much to say except:

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Tales of Symphonia, got that?

* * *

Raine stood on the bridge by Kratos, frozen with surprise. She had never expected to see him in a place such as Altamira, the "gaudy" resort, as Sheena described it. But then again, she had never expected to see him again anywhere. Though his intentions were still unknown, it made her feel a little better after thinking about him, to see him for real again. 

She cleared her throat softly and stared into the man's emotionless brown eyes. How could he keep so calm and still like that? She was tired of looking upon blank faces. People's expressions told a lot about how they felt, but Kratos almost never expressed any emotion, so it made it even harder to analyze him.

She wondered if he could someday express some sort of optimistic emotion in those eyes of his. She wondered how it would look if he actually smiled for once.

The silver-haired woman spoke softly. "We're just here taking a little rest," she said, careful to use "we" as in Lloyd and the others instead of "I". "But we'll be moving on quickly. There's no time to lose."

Kratos nodded. "I assume the Chosen is well?" he asked. He hoped to sound as if he was planning to take her away to merge with Martel's consciousness, so that Raine would think he was really with Cruxis and not suspect that he was actually helping them. But he knew, however, that the professor was smart and could figure things like that out easily. Except, he was an expert at masking his intentions too, so it seemed like a contest in which would succeed: Raine, in figuring out his intentions, or him, at covering up his purposes.

Raine looked even more confused by his question, but she didn't let him see it through her words. "Yes, Colette is doing fine," she replied suspiciously, raising an eyebrow. "Don't tell me, you're planning to take her away, aren't you?"

Kratos felt that he had half-succeeded. She thought he was going to take her away from Yggdrasill, but she was also getting suspicious of him. He made himself sound as cold as possible.

"That is not for you to know."

The woman looked slightly startled and hurt by the coldness in his voice, but Raine was not one to show her fears easily, besides her obvious fear of water. She tried to be casual and asked a question Kratos knew was going to come up, "Why are _you _here? I didn't know you liked the ocean."

The seraph crossed his arms. "Heh. I didn't know you did either."

At this comment, Raine felt her face growing warm as blood rushed to her cheeks. Her palms grew sweaty. She hated it when people teased her indirectly. Especially a blunt, cold traitor like Kratos.

"B-be quiet," she muttered under her breath, cursing inside. She looked up at him boldly. "You still haven't answered my question. Why are you here?"

His expression looked as emotionless as the dwarf Altessa's automated doll, Tabatha. "I am merely here to take care of some unfinished business," he answered, his brown eyes narrowing.

Raine shuddered a little bit. Those eyes were so cold it almost made her afraid to keep watching him. She almost felt them pierce into her, sneaking up around her, watching her every move.

Despite the pounding of her heart inside her chest, the professor looked at him with a strange look. "Unfinished business? In Altamira?" she murmured, making Kratos look away. "That's odd. Altamira doesn't seem to suit a person like you."

The truth was, the auburn-haired man didn't really know why he was in the Seaside Paradise. It certainly wasn't to enjoy the beach or anything; there was still a world to save, after all. He could've easily gone to Sybak to rest, but he figured that Altamira was closer to the Tower of Salvation . . .

Still, it seemed strange that a serious man like him would be in a place where a person like Zelos would've stayed.

"Do not concern yourself with small details like this," he said calmly with a soft snort. "Focus on what's important." The words almost seemed to come to his mind automatically. He had played his cold act for so many years. He was so used to acting emotionless and saying things that gave nothing away of his intentions.

Raine scoffed at his comment. "Why would you care about what _we _thought was important?" she said bitterly. "Unless of course, you're helping us. That's been bothering me for a while now. You say you're with Cruxis, yet you still appear to aid us."

"Hmph." He gripped his sword and wondered how he could've been so careless. "You can think about it that way if you want."

There was a slight pause. The silver-haired woman shuffled her feet, her actions depicting impatience and nervousness.

"Alright . . ." she replied uneasily, stiffening. The auburn-haired man always seemed to make her feel funny when she was around him. Maybe it was the way he acted so mysterious all the time? Or maybe it scared her to see how calmly he handled situations? There were so many things about him that her mind couldn't comprehend . . .

Sensing the professor's discomfort, Kratos spoke up. "I will be leaving now," he informed, putting a hand on his hip. "As I said, I have some unfinished business to attend to." He glanced at her before walking away coolly.

After his departure, Raine felt a warm breeze blow across her face, ruffling her hair. She pursed her lips and turned her head to look at the seraphim going off without leaving a trace of what he was up to.

Crossing her arms, her eyebrows furrowed into a glare of frustration.

"For Martel's sake, which side are you on anyway?" she mumbled with irritation in her voice.

* * *

The auburn-haired angel stepped silently in front of the ropes which blocked any exit or entrance to Altamira. He grunted softly before letting his shimmering blue and indigo colored wings appear and rose gently into the air. He flew into the starry night, towards the horizon, towards the Tower of Salvation. 

He would meet again with Lloyd and the others soon. With Colette's sickness cured, they would soon visit the tower in hopes of fighting Yggdrasill, or in other words, Mithos.

Shortly after, they'd have to fight him to release Origin's seal. Sheena, the summoner, needed a pact with Origin if they wanted to wield the Eternal Sword. And to wield the Eternal Sword, Lloyd would need the Eternal Ring. That's the only reason he was traveling around Tethe'alla, gathering the necessary items to make the Ring of the Pact.

If they released Origin's seal, he would die. He had been living for over 4,000 years, feeling only despair. He wanted to end his life quickly, to get away from all his misery. He wanted to forget all about his past, his grief, his anger . . .

Kratos felt the cool night breeze against his face. He wanted to die. He needed to die. He didn't deserve to live any longer. He had earned the right to die long ago!

_If I die, though . . . _he thought. _What will there be to look forward to? There is no hope in my life. All of the meaning has already been drained . . . I need to die!_

_You can't die, not just yet. You need to see the worlds become reunited. There are so many things you have not seen yet . . ._

Kratos gritted his teeth. Stupid conscience. That was just the thing he needed at the moment, a lecture from a little voice in his head.

But then, maybe it was right. He _did _want to see the worlds reunited again. He wanted to see peace in the world.

All his life, he had seen nothing but discrimination, misery, violence, war, anything but peace and happiness. People had continuously suffered, and they suffered even more when Mithos created the whole logic of the "Goddess Martel", split the world in two, and made people think that their world was the only world. Many Chosens had suffered with loss of humanity and then had died miserably in attempt to "regenerate the world".

It was all so wrong, so terribly wrong. Mithos had made countless souls suffer with the creation of Exspheres, Cruxis Crystals, and girls and boys who were dubbed "Chosens". He had done it all for the sake of his sister . . .

Losing Martel _had _been painful, but as his teacher, Kratos had failed to acknowledge him of his mistakes, failed to guide him on the right path . . .

He knew that the world wasn't messed up because of him, but he couldn't help feeling guilt for actually thinking that Mithos' vision of the world was right. In doing so and working with him, he had made the people of both Sylvarant and Tethe'alla suffer.

The thought, and probably the fact, made death seem even more welcoming.

_You haven't seen enough, _the voice murmured softly.

He flew faster. The Tower of Salvation loomed closer with every flap of his wings. The night sky was fading away as morning approached.

Despite his conscience, which always seemed to be right, he could be sure about one thing.

_I plan to die within a short while . . ._

* * *

Raine made her way back to her room in the Hotel Lezareno in an aggravated mood. She had been trying to figure out Kratos' intentions for so long, she had talked to him alone, and she still couldn't come up with anything that made sense. For one thing, if he was really their enemy, she could've found out what he was planning to do, and for another thing, if he _wasn't _their enemy, she could tell the others that. 

But no, he hadn't left her with even the tiniest trace of information that she could analyze. She hoped she wasn't beginning to go hysterical . . .

Opening the door angrily and slamming it behind her, the professor startled her companions who were inside, previously laughing and chatting together. They all perked up and stared at her until she cast them a glare, then they went back to minding their own business.

Raine plopped herself in the closest sofa and rested her chin on her hands. She had seen so much just a minute ago, yet she still could not figure out anything. This wasn't like her; normally, she could work out anything if she tried hard enough, but it seemed so frustrating that she could not get even the slightest idea of what Kratos was up to . . .

With a sigh, she turned to watch her friends. Lloyd, Colette, and Genis appeared to be playing some board game they had found on one of the shelves. Presea was sitting in a chair behind Genis, watching the game curiously, and it was making her younger brother blush madly. He found it hard to concentrate, and Lloyd and Colette had commented a few times about the redness of his face.

Sheena and Zelos were sitting on the large bed near the corner of the room. The dark-haired summoner had her arms crossed and her head turned away from the Chosen of Tethe'alla. Zelos was trying to bribe her into doing something foolish, but it didn't seem to be working.

"Please, my voluptuous hunny? I know it'll be fun . . ." the red-haired philanderer begged. His voice sounded like something between a plead and a whine.

"No way, you stupid Chosen!" Sheena growled, turning to glare angrily at him. "You really think I'm gonna fall for something like that? And I'm not your hunny!" She turned away from him again.

Zelos sighed and lowered his head. "Man . . ."

Raine rolled her eyes at the red-haired flirt. Whatever he was thinking, she knew he was up to something that would make Sheena angry.

Regal was reading quietly on the couch. From what she could make out, the book was titled, "Healing Arts". He looked very into the book. Raine thought that maybe he wanted to learn to heal without having the amount restored depend on his distance away from the target.

After gazing at her companions, Raine went back to thinking. She let out a short sigh and leaned back in her seat.

Colette seemed to take notice of this. She whispered something to Lloyd and Genis before running up to her.

"Hi, Professor!" she greeted brightly. "Where were you? I was looking all over the hotel for you!" She propped her chin onto her hands and looked at her innocently.

Raine observed the Chosen of Sylvarant's bright, blue eyes. They were so clear and shiny that it made her want to tell her all about her troubles.

But she resisted the temptation. "Oh, I was just out for a little walk," she replied. It _was _the truth, after all. "I needed a little time alone. I just went out by the beach."

Okay, so maybe only half the truth. She wouldn't tell her about her encounter with Kratos.

Colette nodded. "You seem depressed, Professor," she said worriedly. "Is anything wrong? Please tell us if something's bothering you. We don't want you to suffer all by yourself."

Raine shook her head. Figuring out was Kratos was doing all this time wasn't making her suffer; it was making her hysterical. But if she couldn't figure it out, it was likely that her friends wouldn't be able to either.

"It's nothing, Colette," she assured. "Don't worry about it. I'm fine, really."

The Chosen frowned. "Are you sure?" she asked, still anxious. "It seems like you're frantic about something . . ." She bit her lip.

"No," the silver-haired woman smiled slightly. "I'm okay. I just need to figure something out, that's all."

The blonde cocked her head. "What are you trying to figure out?" she asked curiously. "I've never seen you this anxious. Is it about the origins of a ruin or something?"

Raine decided that it was best to make her think that. "Yes," she said, nodding. "I just need a bit of rest and time, that's all. So don't worry about me."

Colette smiled. "Oh, well, good luck, Professor!" she cheered, giving her a thumbs-up. She held her hands together happily. "I'm going to go play with Lloyd and Genis now. See ya!" She ran over to the boys and their board game and sat down.

A sliver of a smile appeared on the half-elf's face. She continued to watch her companions. They had helped her so much, stuck with her through so many hard times . . . She wished so badly that she could repay them somehow with a bit of information. She needed to figure whose side Kratos was on. It would help them in the sake of their victory . . .

A few hours later, after everyone had said their goodnights, she was left alone in the large room with the large bed all to herself. She was glad to be able to sleep in her own room for once. Genis was sharing a room with Lloyd and Zelos, and she hoped that Zelos wouldn't cause too much trouble for her younger brother. Colette, Sheena, and Presea were also sharing a room together. Raine prayed that they wouldn't spend all night chatting. Regal, like her, had a room all to himself.

She was in her night clothes which consisted of a sky blue long sleeved shirt and pants made of silk. The large windows behind her bed had their curtains drawn except for one, which had its window open. A cool night breeze was blowing in.

Her silver hair swayed slightly and she tucked herself snugly under the covers. Now, with no one to disturb her, was the perfect time to think.

Before she began to organize her thoughts, she remembered what Genis and Zelos had said in unison at the Storyteller's house in Latheon Gorge.

_"It's a waste of time to think when you have no ideas."_

Was that why she couldn't get anything? Did she not have any ideas? Was what she was doing a waste of time? It was hard to believe that Zelos and Genis had been thinking the same thing at the same time.

But she didn't believe that she didn't have any ideas. Of course she had suspicions! It was just a little hard to organize them with someone as mysterious as Kratos. She needed to think.

Raine blinked a few times to stop her eyes from closing. She couldn't fall asleep yet. It was just about her only chance alone and she was going to make some use of it. What was Kratos up to . . .?

At the thought, her eyelids shut tight and her breathing became deep. Figuring this kind of thing out was tiring.

Before she could stop herself, she fell into a deep sleep.

_Dream_

_The brown-haired swordsman named Lloyd Irving was standing with his feet planted firmly on the ground, his swords drawn out. He was panting, his clothes had bloodstains all over them and his swords were also covered with blood. His brown eyes were filled with determination, but anyone could tell that he was exhausted._

_Across from him was the purple-suited mercenary named Kratos Aurion, kneeling on the ground, panting. He was leaning on his sword for support and red blood stained his clothes too. His eyes were sad and he looked away from Lloyd._

_Raine's palms grew sweaty at the sight of her companion and the half-dead angel in the midst of a battle. With her rod in her hand, she wanted so badly to heal both of them, but she couldn't. This was a father and son battle, and she couldn't interfere. Sheena, Colette, Zelos, Presea, and Regal were also standing close to her, their eyes wide with horror. Colette looked like she was about to cry._

_Lloyd hesitated to finish the seraph off. But he knew that he had to release Origin's seal to save the two worlds. When the decision came down between killing his father and saving the world, anyone would've thought it was a tough choice. But now, with all the people suffering, it didn't seem that he had much of a choice._

_He gritted his teeth, gripped his swords firmly, and charged at the angel. _

_Defenseless and too weak to continue on, Kratos didn't even try to guard against the attack. He had planned to die anyway. He wouldn't run away from death again._

_"Aagh!" Lloyd screamed, delivering one final blow to finish him off._

_Raine shut her eyes tightly. She couldn't bear to watch any longer._

_Kratos' cry was heard as Lloyd stood still, frozen with horror._

_Inside, Raine screamed, "No . . .!"_

_End Dream_

"No!" Raine sat up sharply in bed, her eyes filled with fear. She was sweating heavily all over.

Realizing that it was only a dream, tears flowed down her cheeks uncontrollably, not from sorrow, but rather from relief. She slumped back down under the covers, grabbing a tissue from a night table beside her to wipe her tears. She couldn't bear to see anyone die like that, even if it was Kratos . . .

Now, she was totally confused. Why would she dream of Lloyd fighting Kratos, one-on-one? It was the strangest scenario she had ever imagined. And she remembered the look of despair on Lloyd's face, the urge to heal him and Kratos, the pain she had felt when Lloyd had delivered that final blow.

"It's okay, Raine . . ." she soothed herself, closing her eyes. "Only a dream, only a dream . . ."

_Yes, only a dream . . . _

* * *

So how was it? I think I like the way this story is turning out. The plot is in my head . . . I hope. 

Please R&R! Thanks!


	3. Coming Closer

**Healing the Wounded Heart**

I started this chapter when I was in Welgaia (first visit) for the description of what it looked like. This was on my second playthrough. Then, I ended it when I had opened the door in Vinheim and had watched the scene, plus some Coliseum stuff too . . . That took pretty long . . .

Yep, this chapter was hard to write,but I succeeded! Yay! Anyway, here's the disclaimer:

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Tales of Symphonia.

rice8369 - Yeah, Kratos goes off to Derris-Kharlan at the end, but this is during the game, after Colette's illness is cured.

Enjoy!

* * *

Kratos stepped casually off of the warp portal and into Welgaia, the Holy City. Although it looked more like a series of large, high-tech rooms rather than a real city. The angels of Derris-Kharlan, including himself, lived here, but even though there were many living beings, there was no feeling of actual daily life.

The seraphim glanced around and walked forward. All of the angels wore blank, emotionless expressions and talked in monotone voices. A starry night sky could be seen from the glass dome which covered the city. Everything was extremely mechanical; there were no signs of natural light or anything except machines and more angels.

Kratos knew that most of the winged beings had lost their souls, so they had been floating and flying around aimlessly for countless years, unable to even think. And all they ever talked about was Yggdrasill and Derris-Kharlan. Life in Welgaia revolved around those two main subjects, and combined with the impassive angels, it made it an extremely dull and boring place to live. They were simply waiting for the Age of Half-elves to arrive, he guessed.

Of course, the angels themselves knew that they had lost their souls. Perhaps they had chosen to forget about the feeling of misery when people treated them like dirt. They had probably wanted to become oblivious to any vulgar names they were called.

But in the process, they had also forgotten the feelings of affection: love and happiness.

Angels were oblivious to so many things, including the temperature around them. One had even commented on the uselessness of clothes because they could not feel heat or cold.

How did it feel to be lifeless? To be living on forever without feeling anything, not even happiness? Yggdrasill had truly drained the meaning from their lives.

To be trapped in an empty, silent world for eternity, their souls sealed away, unable to understand the environment that they were living in . . .

It seemed unbearably sad.

_Yggdrasill is supposed to be helping the half-elves . . . _he thought, pitying the emotionless beings. _Is this really helping them? Having them become angels and then losing their souls? Living on forever without feeling anything at all?_

He shook his head. _This will not improve anyone's lives . . . _

With a firm expression and fire in his brown eyes, Kratos set off to meet Yggdrasill in the Great Seed Chamber in the Tower of Salvation.

* * *

The next morning, the sliding doors of Hotel Lezareno slid open and a newly refreshed Raine stepped out. The air in Altamira was cool and fresh, and it was almost silent, save for the sound of ocean waves splashing gently against the shore and the cries of seagulls.

A warm breeze blew across the professor's delicate features and ruffled her hair. Her blue eyes looked bright and shiny, but the serious and worried expression on her face didn't match it.

Her companions were already awake and outside the hotel. Lloyd was "discussing" something with Genis, but the little half-elf just rolled his eyes and made a sarcastic comment every once in awhile. This seemed to make the swordsman irritated, so he started yelling, and Genis yelled back without hesitation. The little "conversation" of theirs turned into an argument.

Colette, Sheena, and Presea were also chattering amongst themselves. Well, Sheena and Colette were really the only ones talking, as Presea simply stood and listened, telling them that she was listening with an occasional nod. The blonde Chosen giggled and the summoner rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help letting out a small smile.

Zelos had gone off to annoy Regal now that Sheena was busy. Anyone could tell that he was complaining about something from the whiny tone of voice he was using, but the convict just grunted and moved away. This caused the red-haired man to whine even more, but it wasn't as if he was expecting anyone to pay attention to him anyway.

The silver-haired woman stepped silently down the velvet covered steps leading to the grounds near her friends, and the exit to the city. She cleared her throat softly.

The seven companions grew silent. Even Lloyd and Genis stopped their bickering and turned to stare at Raine. Sheena raised one eyebrow and Colette smiled. Lloyd wore a blank and confused expression, Genis looked slightly puzzled, Regal remained as emotionless as always, and Zelos grinned deviously.

The professor managed a small smile, but that was about it. They were about to head into great danger.

"We should be going now," she said finally, her periwinkle eyes reflecting pure worry. "We can't waste any time."

Zelos frowned. "Aw, Professor, one night in Altamira isn't gonna hurt us all that bad!"

Raine shot a glare at the Chosen of Tethe'alla before speaking again. "With the situation of the two worlds like this, we must stop Mithos as soon as possible," she replied firmly. "We can't waste time fooling around at resorts."

Sheena nodded. "Yeah, Zelos," she added, rolling her brown eyes. "How can you even think about some gaudy resort like Altamira at a time like this?" She crossed her arms and looked at him coldly.

"And I wonder what goes on in his head all the time," Genis remarked sarcastically.

"Oh, come on already!" Lloyd cried impatiently. He ran towards the exit. "The Professor said that we can't waste any time! We're already wasting time just standing here! Let's go!"

"Yeah!" came a high and cheerful voice that happened to be Colette's. She scurried over to Lloyd's side.

Presea nodded slightly. "Yes," she said, her voice hinted with worry and agreement. "Professor Raine is right. We should hurry."

"I agree," Regal put in quietly. "We should head for the Tower of Salvation as quickly as possible."

Zelos grinned and put a hand on the red-suited swordsman's shoulder. "Right, whatever you say, bud!" he said cheerfully. "And thanks for defending me against the brat!"

"Oh, shut up, will you?" the silver-haired boy cried, annoyed. "Seriously, how can you joke around like that all the time? And I _told _you to stop calling me that!"

Zelos beamed, as Sheena would call it, "like an idiot". "Because I, the great Zelos, am the master of . . ."

He stopped to think for a moment. "Of . . . oh, dammit, what was it again?"

Sheena walked over to him and rolled her eyes before grabbing a lock of his long red hair. "Yeah, yeah, whatever, of making idiotic comments! C'mon now, let's go!" She began dragging him along as the Chosen screamed for mercy. The rest of them followed the two out of Altamira.

"Ahhh, yes, my voluptuous hunny, you're, OW!" he yelped as the ninja continued to pull him along. "Correct, I am the master of the OWWW! Nooo! Sheena, stop it! No, not the hair – OWWW!"

"Just shut up, will you?" Sheena growled, her voice hot with anger and annoyance. "And just _thanks _sooo much for calling me that!" She tugged harder on Zelos' hair.

"OWWW! No, Sheena, stop it OW!"

Raine rolled her eyes at the pair. Zelos was just the type of person to deserve something like that.

But what she was really worried about was her dream. Even though she was convinced that it was _just _a dream, she couldn't help being anxious over it. A father and son fight, right in the middle of . . . what was it? She couldn't remember the place exactly, but it had definitely seemed like a place out in the wilderness, a forest, perhaps.

She clenched her fists and took a deep breath.

_Lloyd, I pray for the safety of you . . . and Kratos._

"Professor?" Lloyd's voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

The woman looked up to see the others boarding the Rheairds. Lloyd himself was hopping onto a blue one. "Hey, time to go. We're headed for the Tower of Salvation."

* * *

The purple-suited mercenary walked into the cold, damp room, the Great Seed Chamber, inside the Tower of Salvation. Although the massive stone walls surrounding the place were windowless, a chilling wind still managed to sneak its way inside, making Kratos shiver slightly. The seed of the Giant Kharlan Tree, the Great Seed, rested in the room, with Martel's soul inside, waiting to be resurrected. At least, that's what Mithos Yggdrasill was expecting.

The thought of having the very life of the world, the root of all mana, right before his eyes, made it very tempting to just take it and solve all of the people's problems. But he knew he could not do that. For one thing, he could never survive the brutal forces Yggdrasill would pummel upon him, and for another, he could not possibly solve everyone's problems just by replanting the Great Seed. The worlds still needed to be reunited with the Eternal Sword, and some things could not be recovered, such as the lives lost because of Cruxis' schemes.

The blonde-haired angel was standing close to the Great Seed, close to the soul of his sister. His shimmering pink wings were exposed as he stared longingly at the seed which held his sister's consciousness. The beautiful young maiden with the long green hair, the kind heart, and the open mind . . . Martel.

"Please, come back to me soon, dear sister . . ." Yggdrasill whispered hopefully, closing his bright, yet lifeless blue eyes.

Memories of Martel came flooding back to Kratos and he thought about the day she had died. It had hurt, hurt so much, but not as much to anyone as to Mithos. He had lost his only source of warmth and strength.

And Yuan had chosen to save the world instead of his fiancée.

Kratos shook his head as he tried to imagine the anguish the half-elf must've felt when he had made his decision. How torn he must've been . . .

_Be strong, Kratos._

_Yes . . . _the man thought to himself. He boldly stepped forward and said quietly, "Lord Yggdrasill."

Yggdrasill turned towards him, his face still sad at thoughts of Martel and his eyes slightly teary. He tried wiping his face before Kratos could notice.

_It seems that he is still a child inside . . . _

"Yes, Kratos?" the blonde-haired angel asked, his voice returning back to its normal cold, emotionless tone. "What is it?"

The auburn-haired man hesitated before speaking. ". . . Lord Yggdrasill, are you sure you will stay here to guard the Great Seed until Martel's mana seeps into the Chosen?" He secretly hoped that Lloyd and the others would be able to prevent Colette from being taken away. But with Zelos . . .

He expected the Chosen of Tethe'alla to follow his instructions and retrieve the sacred metal, Aionis, for Lloyd. After all, if he was going to wield the Eternal Sword, he would need that to forge the Ring of the Pact.

Yggdrasill looked at him blankly. ". . . Yes."

Kratos let out a short sigh. This would only cause more trouble for Lloyd and the rest of them. "As you wish . . ."

"What is your reason for being here? Is this all you wanted to say?"

"No," the auburn-haired angel stated bluntly. "You had asked me about some matters you wanted to discuss with me. And I am here now . . ." His palms were starting to sweat at the thought of what Yggdrasill wanted to talk to him about.

"Ah, yes." The angel glanced quickly at the Great Seed before looking back at Kratos. "Come. We have some important things to converse . . ."

* * *

As Raine flew high through the skies of Tethe'alla on her red Rheaird, she thought more and more about what would happen during their second visit to the Tower of Salvation. She doubted that what would really happen was going to be good for any of them, especially Colette, whom Cruxis needed for the resurrection of Martel.

Would the innocent Chosen of Sylvarant be all right? Would they all get hurt trying to save her? Or even, would one of their trusted friends betray them? It made her wince to think about it.

_No, it couldn't happen._ She had put her complete trust into every one of her companions, even Sheena, whom she had suspected before. At least the dark-haired summoner hadn't betrayed them, even though she was sent to assassinate Colette. And Zelos too; even though he could be ridiculously annoying at times, she still had faith in him.

But it was just her nature to wonder about things like that.

She brushed a lock of silver hair out of her eyes and looked ahead at the tall tower that was growing closer to them by the second. All seven of her companions were flying near her: Lloyd, ahead of everyone else, Colette, closely behind her, Sheena, beside Colette, Presea, on her left, Zelos, next to Lloyd, Genis, on her right, and Regal, a little ahead of her. She felt secure with her friends around her, and it was unlikely that they would be attacked while flying.

Chilling winds rushed past her face as she held on tightly to the Rheaird. The Tower of Salvation, or rather damnation, which suited it more, loomed ahead, its peak stretching out into the heavens. Wispy white clouds curled around it, surrounded by a bright blue sky and a flock of birds that were circling around it. No matter how beautiful it looked on the outside, it would never make up for what she saw on the inside.

Coffins of failed Chosens . . .

It horrified her just at the thought of it.

_Was it really necessary for Yggdrasill – Mithos, to put out all of the coffins for all who entered it to see? _

Raine cocked her head. _Perhaps it was to ensure the succession of the next Chosen . . . to show what their fate would be if they did not complete the world regeneration ritual successfully . . ._

But the Tower of Salvation was extremely important to both the people of Sylvarant and Tethe'alla. It acted as a symbol of salvation to the declining world, and a symbol of prosperity to the flourishing world. It brought hope to the people of Sylvarant and relief to the people of Tethe'alla. They saw it as a sign of life that the angels of Cruxis had put in their sky. But inside, there was nothing else but the feeling of death . . .

The professor recalled memories of the first time that they had entered the Tower of Salvation, when it had only been Colette, Kratos, Genis, Lloyd, and Sheena . . .

_Flashback_

_Lloyd and Sheena ran up the translucent stairwell that led into the Tower of Salvation. Colette had ridden a dragon with Kratos, as the mercenary had claimed, "It is my job to protect the Chosen." This was the day that the sixteen-year-old was to complete the world regeneration of Sylvarant, become an angel, and revive the Goddess Martel. But Lloyd didn't want to think of it that way, and neither did anyone else._

_Raine and Genis were waiting anxiously for the swordsman and summoner. Raine clasped her hands together anxiously. Genis ruffled his silver hair and crossed his arms. _

"_Raine, where are Lloyd and Sheena?" he complained, beginning to pace. "I didn't know their dragon was this slow. And where did Kratos and Colette go?"_

_The silver-haired woman sighed. "Genis, stop pacing," she told her younger brother. "I know you're worried about them, especially Colette, but you can't lose your patience. This is . . . the day that Sylvarant will be regenerated. We should all be happy . . ."_

_Genis stopped pacing and glared at his sister. "But Colette has lost almost all of her humanity, and she's probably going to lose the last of it today too!" he shouted. He didn't mean to take it out on her, but he couldn't help it. Nobody would want to lose their best friend, even if it meant regenerating the world._

_"Genis!" The professor put her hands on her hips angrily. "I know you don't want this to happen to Colette! But the people of Sylvarant are suffering! You must remember that!"_

_"I –_

_"Professor! Genis!" Lloyd voice shouted. The two half-elves turned to see the young swordsman and summoner enter the small room. They were both panting heavily, and Sheena kneeled down to catch her breath. Genis looked relieved to see them._

_"Guys! Where have you been?"_

_"Sorry about that," Sheena cut in, standing up again. "We were kind of delayed by the dragon, but . . ." She looked around._

_"Hey, where's Colette?" Her expression changed into one of confusion and anxiety. _

_Lloyd's brown eyes were filled with worry. "Yeah, where'd she go? And what about Kratos?"_

_Raine stepped forward. "I would assume they are in the room containing the Final Seal," she explained, trying her hardest to keep her voice steady. "We'd best go and catch up to them."_

_"Yeah, c'mon, guys!" Lloyd began running into the next room. "Hurry!"_

_"Yeah!" Sheena, Genis, and Raine followed him. But the professor did not expect what she was about to see . . ._

_The brown-haired swordsman ran and ran until he arrived into a long path that led to a warp portal. He stopped short, and the rest of them did the same not long after. His eyes widened in fear._

_"Oh my gosh . . ."_

_Sheena's eyebrows furrowed. "What are those things?" she demanded, her voice filled with more fear than anger. _

_Genis' jaw dropped. "They're just kind of . . . floating around . . ." he murmured._

_Raine walked over to the edge of the path for a closer look. Her face went white and she backed away slightly._

"_Oh my . . ." she gasped, her voice filled with a new horror. "These are . . . these seem to be the coffins of former Chosens . . ."_

_"Y-you mean . . ." Genis began, frightened. "You mean . . . failed Chosens . . .?" He shuddered._

_"Dead Chosens!" the dark-haired summoner exclaimed. "They must've died along the way to regenerate the world!"_

_"Yes . . ."_

_Lloyd didn't take the time to wonder about details such as this. He was too worried about what might happen to Colette if she failed. "Guys, c'mon! We don't have to time to be fooling around like this! If we don't hurry, this is what'll happen to Colette!" He ran into the portal and warped._

_Genis and Sheena turned to him. "Right!" They followed quickly behind him and disappeared into the portal. Raine ran a few steps ahead on the translucent path before staring once again at the coffins. They were lifeless beings, humans who had died trying to save the world. Was this their punishment for failing, when they had tried so hard to save their world? They had been born to become a sacrifice, had gone on a journey to sacrifice themselves, had failed, and then had their body shown at their destination? Was it really fair to them?_

_"Tower of Salvation . . ." she muttered, not believing that dead bodies were inside the tower that was supposed to symbolize salvation. "Rather, the Tower of Damnation . . ."_

_She hurried off into the warp portal and vanished. _

_End Flashback_

The group circled around the tower a couple of times before landing in front of the entrance. Genis then stored the Rheairds inside the Wing Pack that they had once used to carry the Elemental Cargo in, which Raine hated to ride. She stared up at the building that rose high above the clouds, high above the land, superior to everything . . .

But it was filled with so much sadness. All of the failed Chosens were left to rest there, not even knowing the true reason their world was in decline or of the coexisting world that had been flourishing.

Raine's seven companions entered the tower without hesitation, but the professor took one look at it before she went inside. Even though she didn't know it, it would probably be the last time that she would look at it up close while it was still whole.

The strong and sturdily built structure shone like silver in the bright afternoon sun. It was made to be a symbol of hope and love to the people of both worlds, but if they had gone inside, they would look at it in a completely different way.

She pursed her lips and her periwinkle eyes gleamed. "Tower of Salvation . . . and damnation . . . here I come."

* * *

So how was it? Tell me what you think. Constructive criticism would help!

Haha, did you see the alliteration near the end? Strong, sturdily, structure, shone, silver . . . hehe. I really didn't mean to do that, seriously.


	4. Tower of Damnation

I finally updated this story . . . -sweatdrop- Sorry for the almost-two-month wait. -shifty eyes- Yet . . . some of the other fics have had longer waits . . . MUCH longer . . . -runs away-

Anyway, don't except toooo much from this chapter . . . it was mostly character development, not plot movement. -nods-

**WARNING: **To all fluff/mush/sop lovers, please take note that this is NOT a fluffy story, even if it is romance. It is mostly angst and sad feelings . . . so no fluff. -sweatdrop-

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Tales of Symphonia.

Enjoy anyway . . .

* * *

As she walked cautiously into the dreaded Tower of Salvation, the half-elf felt a chill run up her spine at the memories the place held, dark memories. It was the place where Colette had lost her soul, when her bright, lively blue eyes had been suddenly transformed into empty, soulless red ones. It was where she had first seen what the tower truly held, and had first wondered _why _it was a symbol of salvation. 

_And it was the place where Kratos betrayed us . . ._

Dizziness engulfed her as she plodded steadily along the translucent blue path. She felt sick to her stomach and lifeless. What was making her feel so . . . empty and alone? Her friends were in front of her. She was safe, at least for the time being. Her rod was clutched tightly in her right hand. So what was the menacing feeling that was tugging at her and making her feel so strange?

She held her head in her free hand as she tried to sort through her emotions. She had never felt so chaotic before. Her blood rushed coldly through her veins as she heard the loud thumping of her heart beating in her chest. Sweat covered her palms and lined her forehead. Apprehension clung to her tightly.

Biting her lip, she bravely continued on despite the fear that threatened her. _I am doing this . . . for the sake of the world. For the half-elves who have suffered. I have to stay strong. _Motivating phrases instantly popped into her mind. But Raine was too skeptical to believe the words – _her _words. All her friend's efforts combined could not cease her fright.

Though she wouldn't admit that she was afraid. She put on a determined face and slowly, she put one foot in front of the other as if going on was a burden. She was tired. Tired of fighting, tired of the world. She wanted peace. She wanted to rest. _What _exactly had gotten her tangled into this mess?

But she was too weary to think any further. She wanted to conserve her energy for the fights that awaited them.

Everything was silent. The cold feeling of death washed over Raine. She felt horrible. Something was not right, she could sense it . . .

Lloyd looked grave, Colette serious, and pretty much everyone looked troubled or grim. Even Zelos was not his usual self, but instead of his normal cheery expression, he looked depressed and deeply concerned about something. This only added to Raine's nervousness and stirred at her emotions more.

Lloyd stopped short in his tracks as he looked up at the three angels blocking the path. "Damn . . ." he murmured, drawing his swords. "Angels . . ."

Raine's heart literally stopped beating. _Why am I acting so cowardly? _She gripped her rod tighter. Chants and spells flooded her mind. _Root of all creation, grant us the breath of life . . . Photon . . . Ray . . . _

She stood her ground, watching her friends strike their battle poses. Zelos drew his sword, Sheena whipped out her cards, Presea held her ax by her side, Genis clasped his kendama, and Colette's hands trembled as she clutched her chakrams.

_Fight . . . _Raine thought, taking a deep breath and glaring at the angels.

"Everyone!" a voice called from behind.

Caught by surprise, the group turned to see Yuan, the leader of the Renegades, motioning for them to follow him. The professor kept an eye on the angels, to make sure that they weren't caught off guard.

Yuan's blue hair was tied into a ponytail as usual, his arms were crossed, and his blue eyes were flickering with a kind of nervousness. "Follow me!"

He led them to an area behind the stairway. Raine tried to keep her breathing steady, wondering what could await them next. She knew that they would have to fight the three angels sooner or later, but she was a bit relieved to have a chance of finding out what was really going on.

Lloyd looked confused. "What's going on here? Why are you here?"

Yuan glared at him. "Now that Yggdrasill has found out the truth about me, working with you is the only way to save Martel." His face held a stingy expression. "Don't think I want to be your friend or anything."

The brown-haired boy made a face. "You aren't very friendly, are you?"

"I stopped being friendly a long time ago. Now go on. There's no time to waste."

The next thing she knew, Raine was in an area of the tower with her friends, prepared to fight Yggdrasill – or rather, Mithos, and go one step closer to saving the two worlds. _And shortly after, the worlds will be reunited, and all this can end . . ._

Lloyd stopped walking. The Eternal Sword was right in front of him, yet he could not do a thing with it. His fists clenched with a slight frustration. "This is it . . ." he murmured to the rest of the group, trying to keep the fear out of his voice.

Zelos nodded and ran ahead of him. "Right," he agreed, nodding. His voice was an unusual tone. It was not his usual cheerful voice, and yet, it was cheerful . . . Raine knew that he had to be faking it.

"Leave this to me. I have a little something I prepared the last time we were here. Colette, I'll need you, so come here for a sec." The red-haired Chosen motioned for the blonde. His blue eyes were shadowed and his face was unusually clouded.

_Is everything not the way it seems?_

Sheena looked skeptical. "Leave it to you?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow. "What "little something" have you prepared this time?"

Colette glanced at the dark-haired summoner before staring at Zelos again. "Huh?" the Chosen of Sylvarant looked baffled, confused at what anything would have to do with her. But with her usual trusting nature, she agreed, "Oh. Okay."

She walked towards Zelos, her expression still puzzled and slightly concerned, but that soon changed to fright as soon as she realized the other Chosen had led her into a trap. She was standing on a warp portal that was raised in the air with two angels by her side as well as the leader of the Five Desian Grand Cardinals, Pronyma.

Her jaw dropped open and her blue eyes widened with fear. "Z-Zelos!" she cried, her voice trembling. "What are you doing? Why is Pronyma . . .?" She looked at him with a half-pleading, half-shocked expression.

Zelos ignored her and looked at Pronyma with crossed arms. "Lady Pronyma, she's all yours now," he said coolly, hiding the hurt showering over him.

"Yes." Pronyma nodded, her dark eyes flashing. "Good work, Chosen."

"No problem."

"Zelos!" Genis cried, his voice full of shock. "What . . ."

Raine felt her heart skip a beat at the events she was witnessing. First Kratos betrayed them, and now Zelos. Could anything worse happen – to have friends turn against them? The grip on her rod tightened as a new anxiety washed over her.

Lloyd's eyes narrowed. "Zelos, what the hell are you doing?" he yelled with balled fists. "I can't believe you're actually _listening _to her! Why are you letting her take Colette?" His voice held a fury that the professor had only heard once before, and that was the first time that they had been betrayed.

Zelos glared at him, which only made Raine's heart beat faster. "Oh, shut up!" he snapped, his voice full of something that she interpreted as arrogance. "What I'm trying to do is help the winning side! Colette wanted to be a sacrifice. You _know _that there's no way you're gonna win in this fight, right?" His deep blue pools which were once so sparkly and happy were now angry, but there was a hint of sorrow somewhere, Raine knew it.

"You . . . you bastard!" Lloyd struggled to let the words out to a former comrade, but he could not find another way to express the emotions he was feeling. Lloyd's feelings were honest and pure, but he could not bear to say things like that to someone like Zelos.

"What's the big deal anyway?" the red-haired Chosen asked coldly. "It was just a matter of weighing the Renegades, Cruxis, and all of you." He crossed his arms and made an effort to keep the sadness out of his voice.

Raine bit her lip. _This isn't going good . . ._

Sheena looked alarmed, her brown eyes widening with pure fury. "Y-you . . .!" she shouted, her voice quavering angrily. "You were leaking information to the Renegades too? I . . . I can't believe you! I knew you were always a pervert, but when it all came down to it, I thought you were really a good person!"

She glared at him, releasing all of her anger at the moment. Zelos' eyes portrayed nothing, yet he somehow looked timid and saddened. "But I guess I was wrong!" she spat, swallowing back the dejection in her voice.

But still, the Chosen of Tethe'alla kept his cool. "Why, thank you, my sweet voluptuous hunny. But in the end, I choose this side. Because Mithos promised to free me from my fate as a Chosen of Mana."

Regal looked irritated with Zelos' selfish statements. "You hate being a Chosen so much that you would betray your friends?" he asked, trying hard to keep his voice calm.

"Oh yeah," the red-haired man looked determined. "Because of this title, my whole life has been a complete joke. I can't wait until Seles becomes the Chosen instead."

Presea looked saddened. "Zelos . . . what you are doing will cause immense suffering to countless people . . . do you not know that your actions are wrong?" Her pale green eyes lowered.

"Wrong? Please," the Chosen kept a firm expression. "Seles has always wanted the title and power of the Chosen. So I'm letting her have it. What's wrong with that?"

"Don't you understand?" Raine's periwinkle eyes narrowed angrily. "If Tethe'alla begins to decline, Seles will have to go on a journey to regenerate the world – that is, if we don't reunite the worlds. At the end of the journey, she will die, or she will fail along the way. Do you really want your sister to die – or become one of the coffins of dead Chosens floating around in this very tower?" Her gaze pierced into him.

Zelos' eyes lowered, but he remained silent, still too stubborn to admit that he was wrong. He turned to Pronyma. "I'm sorry for the wait. Let's go, Lady Pronyma."

He stepped onto the warp portal. Colette looked desperate. "Lloyd!" she cried helplessly as they began to warp away. "Lloyd! Lloyd-

"Colette!" Lloyd shouted back, his brown eyes ablaze with fury. "Zelos!" He stared at the warp portal, his hands gripping his twin blades tightly. "How could you . . ."

The commander of the three angels that they had seen earlier was staring at them with a cold, empty expression. "Disappear into nothingness," he said bluntly, as all three of the angels charged towards them.

Suddenly, two blue-clad ninjas and Orochi appeared in front of them to block the beginning blow. Sheena looked shocked to see them there. "Everyone! What're you doing here?" she cried.

Orochi didn't even look at her. "We'll explain later. Now is the time to fight!"

"Here they come!" Lloyd shouted, drawing out his weapons.

Raine prepared for a spell. The battle had begun.

* * *

Kratos stood on the balcony of the Great Seed Chamber, watching anxiously as Pronyma entered the room, bringing her minions, Zelos, and Colette with her. His brown eyes flickered nervously. _Do as I told you to, Zelos. Save Colette, get Aionis, and defeat Mithos . . ._

He looked towards the ceiling. _Lloyd, save the world . . . for everyone's sake._

"Lord Yggdrasill," Pronyma began. "We have brought you the girl to be used for Lady Martel's vessel." She glanced at Colette quickly before turning back to Mithos. "Please go right on with the operation."

Mithos examined Colette carefully through piercing green eyes, making the Chosen shuffle her feet anxiously. ". . . Good work, Zelos," he told the red-haired man. "You will be released from your fate as a Chosen of Mana as soon as Martel has been resurrected."

Zelos crossed his arms. "You'd better. After all the trouble I went through to bring Colette here . . ." He gave a tiny smirk to himself. _Boy, am I good at this stuff._

Mithos scowled as the blond-haired Chosen looked at Zelos, her eyes wide with fear and shock. "Zelos . . ." she whispered, her face full of misery. What was to become of her? Did Zelos manipulate them and plan to bring her to Mithos all along? She clasped her hands nervously, with perspiration covering her palms.

And up above on the balcony, Kratos stood, a grave expression on his face and his cold brown eyes fixed on Colette and Zelos. Lloyd and the others would arrive sooner or later. He would show himself when the time was right.

_After they defeat Mithos here . . ._

A chill ran up and down his spine as he crossed his arms. Blood rushed hot and cold through his veins as pools of fear and longing filled up inside of him. His death was approaching, and he would die in the very place where all of this had started, when Mithos had first gotten a hold of the Eternal Sword.

_The Torent Forest._

He couldn't wait for death to grasp him in its dark clutches. He couldn't wait to join his wife, Anna, whom he had killed so many years ago. He couldn't wait to end his miserable, sinful life. He couldn't wait to finally cast the punishment he deserved – deserved long ago, on himself.

But somewhere, deep inside his heart, he felt fear. He feared of what would happen to his son, to his companions, to the world. Did they hate him? Did he really want to die unloved by anyone?

_Does it really matter? No one loves a traitor like me anyway._

He had sat in the darkness for so long. Unable to accept anything or anyone. He didn't want others to suffer because of him, and he didn't want to get hurt anymore. He didn't want to care for anything; he wanted to forget about his past and misery. Death seemed like the best solution to all his problems.

For Origin's seal to be released, he had to die. There were no exceptions. He had simply stood by Mithos helplessly and watched as the world fell apart. He had done nothing to save the world those thousands of years ago, and he had even made people suffer even after that. He felt that it was his duty to help fix what was lost many years ago – that he had not even felt the urge to stop.

_You need to see peace and feel happiness. There **is **something in the world for you._

His conscience was speaking, once again. But Kratos held firm to his beliefs.

_No. There** isn't** anything left for me. I have lost everything, time and time again. This is all I can do now._

He was right. Each time he tried, his world had shattered. He didn't want it to tear to pieces ever again.

_I want to forget everything. I want to feel nothing. Death is the way to settle it. Then, I will finally be at peace._

He was sure about that. There was nothing in the world left for him. He didn't deserve anything.

_You will forget the small moments of happiness you felt too._

He ignored the voice this time. Watching as Martel's soul slowly seeped into Colette through gleaming chocolate orbs, he floated closer and closer to death's welcome arms.

* * *

"Root of all creation, grant us the breath of life!" Raine chanted under her breath. They were still fighting the battle with the three angels, and now they were faced with the leader, known as the Gatekeeper. 

Lloyd, Sheena, and Presea were up front hitting the angel directly. Lloyd was slashing fiercely, unleashing multiple shockwaves and swinging his swords in complicated patterns to deal a great amount of damage. Sheena was pummeling the Gatekeeper with Pyre Seals and Demon Seals, while Presea swung her ax slowly but strongly and slammed it down for an occasional Mass Devastation.

Colette was a good distance away from the opponent, repeatedly throwing her electrically charged balls, Para Balls, and sometimes stunning him for a short time.

Regal had retreated to the back and was almost finished casting a healing spell, and quickly shouted, "Healer!" before running back to help the rest of his companions.

Genis was waving his kendama and a reddish-orange colored circle of light was beneath him as he charged for his powerful fire spell, Explosion.

Raine held her rod with both hands, concentrating heavily to release the healing spell. Suddenly, her eyes shot open, and she lifted her weapon up and shouted, "Revitalize!" before feeling a river of energy return to her.

"Sword Rain Beta!" Lloyd cried, hitting the Gatekeeper with multiple thrusts followed by two slashes. The angel, exhausted, finally fell to the ground, and Genis and Raine stopped their spell casting.

"Ugh . . ." the angel groaned. "I . . . underestimated . . . y-you . . ." Then he collapsed on the ground before them, dead.

Lloyd turned to Orochi and the other ninjas. A small cut was visible on Orochi's palm, but he didn't know where it had come from. "Are you guys all okay?"

Genis was seen picking up a small, sparkling symbol next to the Gatekeeper before slipping it around his wrist.

"Yes," the older ninja replied. Sheena looked at him oddly.

"And . . . why are you guys here?"

Orochi looked grave. "We received a message saying that you were going to head for the final battle. But that isn't important right now. You must hurry and save Colette."

"Yeah, I know." Lloyd nodded, his reddish brown eyes gleaming with determination. "Be careful."

Orochi gave a little bow of his head. "And you as well."

Raine looked down. They were so close to their goal, and they _were _on their way to the final battle with Mithos.

Presea stared at the spinning portal, hope lighting up her usual dull green eyes. "Is it . . . still active?"

Her companions followed her gaze before Lloyd ran over. "Yeah, looks like it. Alright, guys. Let's go!"

* * *

Meh, a so-so chapter in my opinion. Hope it was good enough for you guys. Oh yeah, I changed the title because I just thought it suited the story more. I realized that it goes a lot with the meaning of the song "Hikari" by Utada Hikaru. -nods- So yeah . . .

Sorry there isn't much "Kraine" in this chapter. -sweatdrop-

Please R&R! Thanks!


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